The decorative painting of various items is a well established art. In the automotive industry, decorative painting is used on several items including, for example, the decorative strips which show the trademark of the individual vehicle. Often, these strips have a chrome-like appearance. Portions of the letters are sometimes decoratively painted to give the necessary highlights for the aesthetics desired. Normally in the prior art, a decorative mask is cut and placed over the workpiece to be painted. The decorative mask prevents paint from being applied to, for example, the upper chrome-like surfaces, while at the same time allowing the paint to be deposited on preselected painted portions of the workpiece.
The producing of decorative masks and their use in a high volume operation is relatively expensive. The mask must be produced, installed, cleaned and replaced on a periodical basis.